


1. Birth

by howelleheir



Series: DS9 100 Theme Challenge [1]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: 100 Themes Challenge, Alien Culture, Family, Gen, Language Barrier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 04:01:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15134663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/howelleheir/pseuds/howelleheir
Summary: Two new Vorta lines are born.





	1. Birth

**Author's Note:**

> Part 1 of 100 themed short works/drabbles/snippets, presented without much in the way of editing or any promises to actually finish all 100. Yay!

The first few days were always the hardest, but these two seemed to be having a particularly bad beginning. Liran ran a finger absently over the nameplates on the glass.

_ Senva Kilana _

And just below:

_ Senva Weyoun _

He had long since lost count of the Vorta he had activated, but the number was in the thousands, all of them first iterations. By nature, first iterations were difficult. A second or third or fourth iteration could wake up, undergo memetic transfer, and be sent into the field within hours, but Firsts took time. Liran genuinely enjoyed his work -- caring for them in those vulnerable early months, watching them learn, guiding and shaping them for their first assignments. It was usually worth the inevitable growing pains.

He wasn't sure if it was worth it this time.

It had been fifteen days, and neither had even attempted to speak. Weyoun was incredibly sensitive, almost hypervigilant, startling at every noise, and Kilana was fiercely protective of him. Liran still had a fresh wound on his arm where she'd bitten down when he attempted to coax a few empty nutshells from Weyoun's hands after a meal.

Normally, a strong bond between  _ onarota _ was a positive sign -- indicative of good socialization -- but these two seemed to be holding back one another's progress.

It worried him. Speech was the first major milestone, absolutely essential -- they couldn't be taught anything until they had command of language. Standard protocol dictated a maximum of sixteen days for a first iteration to speak before the line was declared unsuitable for continuation.

One more day.

He steeled himself to enter their room, then tapped his security implant to the sensor on the door. The moment it opened, Weyoun jumped as if he'd been given an electric shock, and Kilana stood defensively.

Liran spread his hands to her, hoping she might realize he wasn't a threat. “It's alright,” he said. “Just me. Good morning, Kilana. How are you?”

She narrowed her eyes and gave a soft exhale through her nose.

“I'm sorry to hear that,” he said. It was important to talk to them, to show them how they were expected to behave. “And you, Weyoun? I'm sorry if I startled you.”

Weyoun's eyes darted to Kilana, as if looking for reassurance.

Liran did his best not to show his disappointment; it would only discourage them from cooperating. He pulled a cluster of small berries from the pocket of his coat -- firm and deep blue, with deeply-wrinkled skins.

Weyoun started to reach for them, but seemed to think better of it, and lowered his hand again.

“Do you want these?” Liran asked gently. “You can have them. All you have to do is ask.”

He almost held his breath watching the struggle on their faces. They had to be hungry -- they hadn't eaten since the night before -- and they knew that, unlike most things, they would be able to  _ taste _ the berries Liran was holding. But speaking was hard. Although their brains were fully developed and they could understand language, their mouths had never formed a word, and those fully-formed brains carried the disadvantage of making them too self-conscious to babble until they gained control over their unwieldy tongues. It was the one area of modern Vorta development where more primitive species had an edge, but Vorta had been overcoming that singular challenge for fifteen-hundred years. It may have been nerve-wrackingly late in the game for these two, but they could overcome it too. They had to.

Liran had almost given up when he heard the hoarse, clumsy, “Please.”

A split second later, Kilana echoed it.

And just like that, the first Weyoun and the first Kilana were well and truly born. For the first time, Liran could see their futures stretching out in front of them, iteration after iteration. All of Liran’s lines were valuable -- he had designed and educated the best and brightest in every field -- and these two would be no exception. They would both be incredibly versatile, able to work in any position with ease, but Kilana was slated for security and intelligence, and Weyoun for genetic design. Just a few short months, and they would leave for their posts.

Beaming with pride, Liran gave them both what they had asked for.

**Author's Note:**

> Language notes (wow, only two conlang words! I showed a little restraint for once! Go me!):  
> -senva: "first"  
> -onarota: lit. "Birth-union person", like a sibling. One of the closest possible relationships among Vorta.


End file.
